Even in modern times books are censored. Various organizations think they know what’s best for us to read, and what’s not.

Most of us would strongly defend our right to free speech and to read whatever we wish. Some very famous books have been banned in US, UK and other countries of the world. Recent cases of censorship are many and a few of them may surprise you.

Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs

Father Christmas was published in 1979. The education department of Holland, Michigan, removed the text from all elementary schools after some parents made a complaint. They claimed that the book portrayed Santa Claus as having a negative attitude towards Christmas and the spirit of Christmas.

The Bible

In 1980, Columbus County Library stopped children from checking out The Bible without the permission of their parents to bring home and read adult books. The library claimed that the book is classified as adult because it is too difficult for children to read.

Encyclopedia Britannica

In 1986 Encyclopaedia Britannica was banned in Turkey because it was claimed that it contained articles which spread ’separatist propaganda’.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

In 1985 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was banned from school libraries in London. The educational department accused the classic of being both racist and sexist.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling

Schools in Zeeland, Michigan, removed all Harry Potter books from their libraries after parental complaints. It was claimed that the books could lead to violence like the shooting at Columbine High School in 1998. A year later the ban was reversed and the libraries could stock them again, however, there was still a ban in place on them being read in the classroom.

These are not historical book banning sprees as they have all happened in recent years. Other famous books that were banned for varying reasons, during the 1990’s, include: ‘Of Mice And Men’ and ‘The Grapes Of Wrath’ by John Steinbeck, Roald Dahl’s ‘James and The Giant Peach’, and Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’.